Just a couple of quick comments...
1. Muscle cars from the 1960's and 1970's have to be some of the easiest body styles to buff out. The panels tend to be large and mostly flat and there's no stupid plastic trim to cover up or avoid, just pure chrome and stainless and I always simply buff over these components with the same product I'm using for the major correction step only do this after I'm done with all the body panels as it can destroy a pad. You also don't want to mix metal oxidation on the pad onto a body panel.
Someone on one of the UK forums asked me why I like working on classics and muscle cars more than modern cars and besides the body styles being timeless and always appreciating, the truth is there's not plastic, vinyl or rubber trim to tape-off or cover up. Does that make me lazy?
2. Like mentioned, you don't know what you're getting into until you can see the car in person. Chances are good it will be an easy restoration with only light oxidation. You'll be able to inspect when you're there in person.
This is where experience comes in hand on old school paints but you have to start somewhere.
The good news is you have the stellar members of this forum to help you out.
Note in my how-to book I created paint condition categories. Every car can be placed into one of these categories. (It's in my how-to book too if you have a copy).
Page 37 - Paint Condition Categories
Note that one of the categories pertains to single stage paint, it's called
Unstable
Unstable means the paint is either old enough or neglected enough that the pigments in the paint have become unstable or unable to be restored. You can read more in the link above.
There's also,
Past the point of no return
I've seen old single stage paint jobs that are past the point of no return.
No matter what you're going to want to have the ability to do some testing to see,
A: If the paint can be successfully buffed out and restored.
B: What pads, products, tools and techniques will be required to do the job.
My article on
how to restore antique and original single stage paints is really targeted at people that have something that's vitally IMPORTANT to them to restore the single stage paint.
For these people I do the #7 rub down, like I did on Wayne Carini's 1953 Hudson. It was important to him to preserve the original paint.
For other people and a LOT of detailers, the goal is just to get the paint shiny and the word IMPORTANT doesn't apply to them or enter their way of thinking. These people just whip out the compound and start chopping on the paint.
I point this out because both approaches can work, my #7 approach is for the right car and the right person... not everyone.
For some reason, some people miss where I use the word IMPORTANT and the context in which it's used.
Just to note, I had a guy who saw our paint segment on Chasing Classic Cars bring me his 1940 Studebaker last week. I did what I share with you do do above, and that is I did some testing.
After testing I told him the paint had become unstable and past the point of no return. I figured this was the case. I then gave him the name and number of a couple of guys I know that repaint old hot rods.
Single Stage Paint just keeps coming...
Good luck and keep us up to date.
Lucky guy...
:dblthumb2:
